Parenting interventions in tic disorders: an exploration of parents' perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Parents of children with tic disorders (e.g. Tourette syndrome) experience multiple challenges and stresses, which can impact on family functioning, children's well-being and could indirectly affect tic severity. Parenting interventions have been recommended for tic disorder populations; however, little is known about parents' views. METHOD: The views of parents of children with tic disorders were sought. Using Q-methodology, 23 parents provided their opinions regarding the acceptability, effectiveness, feasibility and utility of parenting interventions. RESULTS: Four factors emerged, representing four groups of parents with similar opinions. Although all factors evidenced support for parenting interventions, subtle differences emerged between factors regarding the endorsed content, barriers and delivery of interventions. CONCLUSION: Results indicate a perceived clinical need for parenting interventions and provide guidance to further develop and implement such interventions.

Psychological, demographic, illness and treatment risk factors for emotional distress amongst paediatric oncology patients prior to reaching 5-year survivorship status.

OBJECTIVES: Studies assessing emotional distress severity of paediatric oncology patients prior to reaching 5-year survivorship status have produced inconsistent findings. This cross-sectional multi-centre study aimed to determine psychological, demographic, illness and treatment risk factors for emotional distress in this population. METHODS: Paediatric oncology patients (n = 74), aged 12-18 years, completed the Paediatric Index of Emotional Distress, Self-Description Questionnaire and Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Seventy-two parents provided background information regarding demographics, diagnoses and treatment protocols in addition to appropriate proxy ratings. RESULTS: Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that demographic, illness and treatment factors explained little variance in emotional distress. Global self-concept, global-generic and cancer-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were significant predictors. Provisional multiple regression analyses indicated that pain/hurt, illness-related worries, communication difficulties and negative self-views in relation to math abilities, parent relations and opposite-sex peer relations were risk factors for emotional distress in this sample. Paired-sample t-tests and Pearson's moment-correlation coefficients showed patient and parent reports of patients' self-concepts and HRQOL were highly consistent. CONCLUSIONS: This study empirically identified modifiable psychological risk factors for emotional distress prior to 5-year survivorship status and provided guidance for future interventions. Furthermore, findings suggest that parent reports can provide reliable estimates of patients' self-concepts and HRQOL. Generalizability of the findings was enhanced by the diversity of the sample studied, in terms of diagnosis and treatment exposure, and the multi-centre recruitment strategy employed. Nevertheless, the findings should be corroborated by larger, longitudinal studies.

High-speed tilt mirror for image stabilization.

A magnetostrictively driven tilt-mirror mount for image stabilization of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center's Experimental Vector Magnetograph has been designed, built, and tested. A simple improvement in the mounting technique of the actuator resulted in a factor of 3 increase in the lowest resonant frequency of the device. The tilt-mirror device was built, and the lowest structural resonant frequency was experimentally found to be 603 Hz.

Using the computer as a referral source to find the patient at nutritional risk.

The use of the computer-generated reports helped to identify the patient at nutritional risk on the basis of length of stay and diet order and permitted the dietitian to serve the patient in an appropriate and timely manner. Of 572 patients assessed in one year, 265, or 46%, were identified as needing nutrition assessment by the computer reports. As a result of increased visibility and increased medical record entries, awareness of the dietitian's expertise has increased. Several inservice presentations on tube-feeding products, tube-feeding administration, and TPN have been requested and given to medical, surgical, and intensive care nurses. Although specific data were not collected, a decrease in tube feeding wastage was noted. As a result of increased monitoring of tube feedings, a more efficient system of labeling tube feedings was designed. At Fairview General Hospital, use of the mainframe computer-generated patient lists has not only saved the dietitian valuable time in identifying patients with nutrition needs but also has afforded her the opportunity to practice current nutrition assessment on more patients. Possible future applications include microcomputer hook-up with the mainframe computer's data banks to complete nutrition assessment calculations.